please log in to view this image Yet ANOTHER circuit that will favour the Merc boys, shock horror! They have the second best chassis that will no doubt help them through the S's and through corners like Spoon and 130R and they also have the best power plant which should help everywhere else! Hard to see past one of Hamilton or Rosberg winning... Redbull should be best of the rest.. But if the steps taken by Ferrari weren't a one off, they took could be in the mix for the 3rd step on the podium. Williams may suffer in the first sector but they've a slippery car that may make up some of the difference in the final two sectors. McLaren, showed promising signs at Singapore but I expect them to struggle here, they just don't have enough downforce around here to be a factor in the race, could be again fighting it out with Force India. Will be interesting to see the how young Max goes in FP1, could be a serious case of custard pie in the face of Torro Rosso/Red Bull or a stroke of genius! One of the best tracks on the F1 calander, overtaking isn't going to be easy, even with the DRS zone, which as in previous years at the Suzuka circuit, the activation area runs along the majority of the start/finish straight, following a detection point shortly before the final Turn 16/17 chicane, also known as the Casio Triangle. Monaco is the only other round to have featured just one DRS zone this season, due to a lack of space. Tyre choice is Hard (Primes) and Medium (Options), depending on wear will be a 2 or 3 stop race, most will opt for 2 stop if they can get away with it! Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka Circuit please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Missing Finger, if found, please return to Mr Seb Vettel, c/o Red Bull Racing (don't give it to the Aussie!) Race information Laps 53 Circuit length 5.807 km (3.608 mi) Race length 307.573 km (191.117 mi) Number of times held 39 First held 1963 Most wins (drivers) Germany Michael Schumacher (6) Most wins (constructors)United Kingdom McLaren (9) Last race (2013) Pole position Australia Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, 1.30.915 Podium 1. Germany S. Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, 1:26:49.301 2. Australia Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, +7.129 3. France Romain Grosjean, Lotus-Renault, +9.91 Fastest lap Australia Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, 1:34.587 (lap 44) Coverage/Times (Sorry times are UK BST) Friday 3 October 2014 Session Channel Coverage starts Session starts Session ends Japanese Grand Prix first practice live BBC2 01:50 02:00 03:30 Japanese Grand Prix first practice live Sky Sports F1 01:45 02:00 03:30 Japanese Grand Prix second practice live BBC2 05:55 06:00 07:30 Japanese Grand Prix second practice live Sky Sports F1 05:45 06:00 07:30 Saturday 4 October 2014 Session Channel Coverage starts Session starts Session ends Japanese Grand Prix third practice live BBC2 02:55 03:00 04:00 Japanese Grand Prix third practice live Sky Sports F1 02:45 03:00 04:00 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying live BBC1 05:00 06:00 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying live Sky Sports F1 05:00 06:00 Sunday 5 October 2014 Session Channel Coverage starts Session starts Japanese Grand Prix live BBC1 6:00 7:00 Japanese Grand Prix live Sky Sports F1 5:30 7:00
Thanks JB I was wathing highlights of the fuji race when Hamilton won and Alonso crashed. There was some really bad weather that year. The Typhoon is going to have to be extreme to top that
The typhoon is set to miss Suzuka by quite some distance but is likely to cause significant downpours, though I don't think the race should be cancelled hopefully. Gone for Ricky, since neither Hamilton nor Rosberg have been particularly strong here in the past.
I've went for Ricciardo because I see something going wrong with the Mercs and Vettel isn't great in high speed corners and thats effectively what this is.
All this talk of a wild storm coming and ripping through at high speed during the race sweeping all others aside is just a misunderstanding. What they were trying to say is "we expect Max Chilton to have a better race".
PitLaneTalk ‏@pitlanetalk 5h4 hours ago Leo Turrini confirms Ferrari and Fernando Alonso have ended their partnership and there will be an announcement this weekend. #F1 #Formula1 Cheers for posting the thread btw Jonny. I'm going for a cancelled GP here but Alonso to take the win if it rains.
Jonny get the last GP (Hamilton win) votes accumulated or I'll come round there are sort you out! Don't think I am going to stay up for FP1 or FP2, busy... I hope anyone who is has a good session.
James Allen seems to think that Ferrari and Alonso have reached divorce. http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2014/...or-divorce-who-will-the-scuderia-go-for-next/ Looks like it is happening after all. Ferrari will undoubtedly be chasing Vettel but I expect him to see out the final year at Red Bull before another year of being harried by Ricciardo, as well as the team building around the young Aussie in anticipation for Vettels departure, leaving a stop gap for Ferrari as they build for 2016. They will need steady heads at the helm and Jenson Button may well wind up there for a year as they build. Their overall good relationship with Nigel Mansell means they won't be afraid of sticking another top level British driver in the team, especially given his vast experience and his willingness to take a short-term deal. Whether he lines up with Raikonnen, whose attitude frankly stinks, is another question and Button would be a great foil for Jules Bianchi to bed into the team. Then again, come March there might not have been an ounce of movement.
Mercs are so much faster than everyone else, shame , i thought Red Bull would have a chance here. Also, no sign of any rain yet.
Rain starting to fall. Checked a lot of weather maps, and from what i can see, the typhoon misses the circuit on Sunday, though the organizers are apparently in talks to try and hold the race Tomorrow instead of Sunday. Also, because of the weather forecast, there's talk that the teams could be stuck in Japan until Tuesday, which could lead to a mad rush to get to Russia for next Weekend's race.
Every week we have false hope that the pack might challenge. They are miles off. A simple intra-team battle at Suzuka. Where have we heard that before?? Ferraris early pace has been solid again in terms of challenging Red Bull and Williams. We will see if they continue that.
Ferrari are always quick at the start of the weekend then they fall back in qualifying and the race. It'll be no different here.
Red Bull have sacked Vettel's chief mechanic with immediate effect. http://www.bild.de/sport/motorsport...bull-feuert-chefmechaniker-37992510.bild.html Wonder what went down there then?
There's not much of a regs change for next year, the other teams should be able to catch up but whats to say Merc's won't improve as well.. Could be well into the middle of next year before anyone catches up, if they do at all, could be an Era of Mercs for the next 2/3 years! I thought Redbulls would be closer, here, yes they've have less grunt from the engine but the gap can't be just based on the horses in the back of the Merc... Thank God its gonna be a wet race, in the Dry the Mercs would have driven off into the distance and may have lapped most cars!
